NEW YORK MOTOR SHOW: All-new Subaru Forester launches

Subaru has delivered a stronger, safer and more comfortable fifth generation of its private-buyer SUV favourite, the Forester.

And thanks to a mostly new 2.5-litre flat-four petrol engine, a bigger interior and a raft of new safety technology, the Subaru Forester cult looks set to keep growing, when the car arrives in September this year (2018).

Australian specifications for the new Forester will be announced in the second half of the year, but the local operation is likely to announce it will axe the six-speed manual gearbox, the entry-level 2.0-litre flat-four and the turbo-diesel.

It’s likely that Subaru's upcoming 2.4-litre turbo flat four petrol engine will find its way into the new Forester at some point, but Subaru Australia boss Colin Christie insisted there were no confirmed plans.

For the first time, the Subaru Forester will include a driver monitoring system to keep tabs on driver fitness and attentiveness, and it includes automatic braking when the car is going backwards as well as forwards.

Australian Foresters might only receive one engine and one transmission, but without quoting pricing, Christie said there would be three or four model specifications.

“Having only one engine and one drivetrain allows us to be very clear and very focused on what we are doing,” Christie said.

“The manual transmission was only two per cent of our Forester sales anyway, so it’s a lot of cost and engineering to cater for not a lot of people.

“The XT turbos, too, are nice to have, but the reality is we were down to selling 70 or 80 a month so it has not been a massive seller for us.”

Subaru claims 90 per cent of the boxer engine is all new, with direct fuel injection helping it to 136kW of power at 5800rpm. It will climb 10kW from the outgoing 2.5-litre motor, and it carries 63 litres of petrol.

In its US-specification, the over-square engine (it has a 94mm bore and a 90mm stroke) also fills in the early going with 239Nm of torque from 4400rpm.

There are no performance or economy claims for the five-seat crossover, but the US models will eschew turbocharging in favour of old-school natural breathing.

“We don’t have an economy figure for the Australian model yet. There are fuel economy benefits with the engine but we have not done the testing yet,” Christie explained.

It retains its symmetrical all-wheel drive layout, too, and adds claimed improvements in feel and manual-shifting options for the 'seven-speed' continuously variable transmission.

At 4625mm long, the new Subaru Forester has grown 15mm longer and, at 1815mm, it’s also 20mm wider. Its 1730mm height is actually 5mm lower than the outgoing Forester, while its 10.8-metre turning circle is 20cm bigger than before.

Its 2670mm wheelbase is a 30mm stretch over the fourth-generation car, which Subaru insists translates directly to increased rear legroom.

It’s built on the same Subaru Global Platform that hosts the Impreza, with more high-tensile steel in the construction of the cabin and a lighter body-in-white.

Coupled to its all-wheel drive system is the X-Mode, which is Subaru’s catchall name for its dial-operated driving mode system. Bringing the engine, transmission, brakes and skid-control systems together, the X-Mode pre-packages different setups for slippery surfaces and off-road work.

The new Subaru Forester claims 220mm of ground clearance, with what it insists are its widest-possible approach, departure and ramp-over angles.

It insists it has worked harder on the interior, even down to rear doors that open wider and a steeper C-pillar angle to make it easier to exit and enter.

The extra width has created more space between the front passengers, too, while the cargo area opens up to 1300mm in width.

There is a new infotainment system, now boasting an eight-inch display screen for its entertainment and navigation functions. There’s also a new operating system for the climate-control air conditioning, which automatically adjusts the temperature depending on the number of passengers in the car.

It’s also now compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while there are USB sockets in both the front and the rear and three different storage sections in the front-seat backs alone.

Its Driver Monitoring System (DMS) isn’t just for checking on the driver’s alertness, but also adjusts to each driver’s seating position, mirrors and even air-conditioner preferences.